An Friendship in the Name of Science
by Mega Rayquaza
Summary: How far will Courtney and Brendan's curiosity for each other take them? ORAS pairing.


Need some proofreading, just posting it to see if this pairing is interesting at all

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><p>In the distant a white knit cap trainer shuffled past the entrance of Team Magma's base.<p>

The former criminal organization has seen the error of their ways and openly welcomes the very person who opened their eyes to their wrong doings.

All the grunts said nothing as Brendan walked by, eyeing him with curiosity, and justly so. After all even though their leader Maxie as proclaimed that Brendan is welcomed here any time he wants, what purpose does he have coming back to the shambles of their former base?

Brendan held his breath, for beyond this door lies the very reason why he even came back here. Or at least he hoped that 'reason' was here. The reason? It was none other than Courtney, that Magma admin whom have intrigued him since their very first meeting. He always thought she was weird, not in a bad way but an intriguing kind of way. Her behavior that is, it's ironic how she always claimed to wan to analyze him yet here he is trying to analyze her. Or at least he thinks that's the reason he was here. Rather he convinced himself that's why he was here.

Truth be told he has no real reason to come back here. Team Magma still has a bad stigma surrounding them. To many people who read the news Team Magma were just a bunch fanatics trying to end the world. Even if Brendan were to defend their warped ideology he couldn't exactly say that the civilians were wrong. Still here he is standing right outside the door of one of the very top ranking officials leading this heinous group.

Anxiously, Brendan held on to the handle, twisting it he realized it wasn't locked. He felt his hand shaking, he found himself sweating as if Groudon just released its rage upon the area. Nervousness? He wasn't sure why he felt this way. This was more nerve wracking than facing Steven as funny as that sound. Again he wasn't sure why, it's not like this is the first time he has seen her before. He had his scuffles with the Magma admin time and time again yet this time it was different, maybe it was because he didn't come to fight this time, this time he came to… what did he come here to do? Not being sure, he concluded that's why he was being so nervous.

Swallowing hard, he opened the door. He was a trainer who faced the ruler of the skies Rayquaza, the one who conquered the creator of the lands Groudon, the one who took down an organization with equipment and funding Hoenn's military can only dream of, he was a trainer who defeated the best trainer in Hoenn: Steven. To be this nervous is an utter embarrassment. With a new found courage he slammed the door wide open.

_"__Crap way to go! Why did I go and do that for!?"_

Mentally scolding himself he just wanted an Abra to teleport him away, doesn't matter where just anywhere but here. Up till now he never knew there could be a more embarrassing way to open a door.

Glancing around anxiously, he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that no one was in the room.

_"__Haha, great I did it, see I could leave now."_

Mentally laughing, he tried to rush out of the room but then something caught his eye. It was a PC the screen was still turned on. Swallowing hard, he assumed that probably means Courtney was just recently here, she could have just went to the restroom or something. If she came back and see this hated trainer barge in uninvited he could only imagine how bad his image would be in her eyes. Not that he could get any worse he thought. After what he did to Maxie, he is probably her most hated person.

But what really caught his attention wasn't the fact that Courtney was just recently here but what was on her screen. It was various pictures of Maxie and upon further inspection there were time stamps all over it as well. Brendan felt his heart pang with jealousy, although he wasn't sure why. Deep down he thought he was the one that Courtney wanted to 'analyze.'

_Wait why am I thinking!?_

Quickly he crossed that thought. Mentally scolding himself for even having such a thing snuck up in his mind he ran out the door.

"Ooof!"

He bumped into something and fell flat on his bottom.

"Oww… what the…?"

Looking up he saw it was none other than the very person he came to see. The purple haired trainer was as stunningly mesmerizing as he remembered. Her bored violet eyes showed no emotions. Her violet puffy hair was as well kempt as ever.

_Girls are so amazing…_

Shaking his head a few times to get rid of those sneaking thoughts, he stood up. She made no move to attack him or even a word; she remained in her usual slouched form.

A few seconds passed

A few more seconds passed.

The awkward atmosphere was made all the more worse with how she just stood there not uttering a single word. Her slender form remained like a statue.

_"__Say something Brendan! Say something!"_

Just when he was about to apologize, her soft musical voice cut him off.

"…You are welcome here anytime you like…"

With that she sat on her office chair, staring at the screen of her PC motionlessly.

Brendan blinked a few times, unsure of exactly what to make of the whole situation. Turning his head to look at her, she was still facing her with her back. His mouth went dry as he try to find something to say.

_Not battling her is making me nervous…_

"So uhh, what do you do now? I mean Team Magma as a whole."

"…"

Another moment of awkward silence passed but only this time Courtney turned to face the young trainer.

Brendan felt he lost his usual confidence when the older woman like usual playfully hopped over. Her expression however was one of indifference contrary to her movement.

It was one of the many reasons that attracted the white knit capped trainer to Courtney. The way she moves around, it was different than those of other girls his age, but it wasn't something unique to older women either he don't recall any women doing that. And it surely wasn't something Team Magma does specifically either, it was just a Courtney thing. That and her other odd yet cute(?) behavior piqued the young trainer's interest.

Courtney studied the young boy with interest, her violet orbs moved ever so slightly like she was sizing up her prey. However she made no further movement nor did she let out a sound. The atmosphere became tenser and tenser as Brendan forced down more saliva down his throat.

"Uhh…"

"…Ahaha~…why are you nervous…?"

"Huh? I-I'm not nervous?"

Brendan felt his face beat red from embarrassment. Honestly, having beaten her these many times in battle and then being this afraid of a non confrontational conversation is mind boggling.

"…You…seem different…"

Brendan paused for a bit, this was probably the last time he is going to see her, after all what other purpose would he have to come back here? Hell, he didn't even have a purpose in coming here in the first place. Being this afraid over nothing is just silly. Sure he didn't know why he felt this nervous but it was silly nonetheless. Closing his eyes, he summoned his courage, he can get as embarrassing as he can. It's the last time he'll come here anyway.

"I came here to see you."

To his surprise Courtney finally showed an emotion. Her blanked expression changed to one of shock. Her violet orbs shrunk a bit and her eyes widened.

Brendan gritted his teeth hard, using all his willpower to not just dash away right now, after the embarrassing thing he just said. Still he expected her to rebuke him or something. She hated him didn't she? Even if she seemed to have forgiven him after Maxie's apology he wasn't sure if all the animosity was really gone.

Courtney looked to the side and hopped back to have computer. Brendan let out a silent sigh of relief; it wasn't as bad as he originally had thought.

"…I was just about to delete these photos…"

"Huh-what?"

Brendan blinked a few times with a dumbfounded expression, that wasn't the response he had anticipated in fact it he never even brought up anything about her computer at all. But then again Courtney is an odd one…

"…you…asked me…what I was going to do…correct?"

"Oh… yeah I did." Brendan scratched the back of his head with a forced laughter.

"But why?"

Brendan looked on in confusion, he was sure that Courtney looked up to, no, idolizes Maxie, and what was on the PC not only confirmed it but it proved that Maxie was someone more than just an idol to Courtney, yet she's just deleting him?

"…If I wanted to move on then this is what I will have to do."

"Move on from Maxie?" _What could she possibly mean by that?_

"…I want to…analyze."

Analyze? Analyze what? She could be quite the mysterious girl sometimes, it was one of the very reasons he came to see her in the first place.

"Ahahah~" she let out a musical laughter before finishing her sentence. "…you now..."

Brendan lips went to an O shape, blinking a couple of times he wondered how such a development could even have happened. Initially, he came here to see her, wondering how it'll feel to have a non confrontational conversation but now she wanted to analyze him now? That really is confusing… would she have said that had he not showed up here today?

Brendan assumed that she's just playing with him, making a fool out of him so ultimately he decided that the only course of action was to play her game, since she always confuses him with her behavior he has to pretend to be unfazed.

"If that's the case, I'm going on a new adventure, to move past Hoenn, want to join me?"

He almost bit his tongue at the words that came out of his mouth. Utterly embarrassing he thought but if she was going to tease him that provocatively with words then he will return the favor.

Courtney widened her eyes, another emotion this one was one of shock.

"It's just that travelling alone would be boring, I want someone I'm able to talk to."

"…talk…? Me?"

Courtney's bewildered expression did not change, she stared at the younger male confusedly.

Glancing back, she did intend to start anew, part of the reason she was so loyal to Maxie was his ambitions, when this young trainer showed up her faith already started to wane. Why? It was because of Brendan's equal amount of determination and ambitiousness. Maxie became a shallow of a man after his defeat which is why she detested the young trainer, for he was the reason that destroyed Maxie's personality, the very personality that attracted her to join Team Magma's ranks. But ultimately after Maxie's apology her eyes were opened to her leader's true self. A person with true determination and ambition wouldn't give up after a defeat; Maxie was just not the person she envisioned him to be. Rather she put him on a pedestal so high; Maxie could never live up to her ideal image of him. It all became clear to her after that sincere apology, Maxie wasn't as strong willed as she had originally perceived him as. But this boy, the one that had intrigued her from the start, how against all odds he still ran head on, he was the one truly worthy of the high pedestal that originally belonged to Maxie. This trainer who against all odds, stood up for what he believed in.

"Yeah, you want to? I could use a travelling partner. Hahaha…" Brendan tried to stay cool but he was secretly readying himself to jolt out the room at a moment's notice.

Courtney gave a small smirk.

"Hah…" her small voice whispered out.

_Hah? Hah means yes right? I remember her saying that whenever Maxie gives her orders…_

"…Where to then…?"

_WOAAAH…is she really going to follow me just like that?_

"Really you going to follow me to another region…?"

Brendan sounded skeptical but hopeful.

"Yes, you… seem fun~"


End file.
